Hourglass-shaped strip damper subjected to monotonic and cyclic loadings

• Distinct behavioral characteristics of HSD were investigated based on loading type.
• Focusing on real-world applications, the impact of different variables was evaluated.
• Damage and cracks were found to be evenly distributed over the height of the strips.
• A hysteretic model using a combined isotropic–kinematic hardening rule was proposed.
• The hysteresis loop and dissipated energy were well predicted by the proposed model.

An hourglass-shaped strip damper (HSD) was proposed to improve on the conventional slit damper. The damper has non-uniform strips which have a smaller cross-sectional area close to the middle height. To find the structural capacities of HSD subjected to monotonic and cyclic loadings, experimental tests were carried out in this study. Test parameters were loading rate, material strength, and the number of damper plates. The results showed substantial load–resistance capacity under monotonic loadings, and excellent ductility and energy dissipation were exhibited under cyclic loadings, with even distribution of damage over the entire height of strips. Based on the test results, a simple hysteretic model using a combined isotropic–kinematic hardening rule was also proposed. The comparison demonstrated that it represents the tested cyclic load–displacement hysteresis well. It is expected that the proposed model can be successfully used to predict the behavior of HSD in real-world applications.